Re: ATM 1st mirror(Dobson's Video)

[Adam Perkins <scopeguru@yahoo.com>]

--- gary thomas <thomas@pld.com> wrote:

> Hello All
>   I am going to start my first  mirror and wondering
> if there is any
> video tapes on the process.
> Thanks
> Gary T.

Gary,

John Dobson himself starred (sorry...) in a video.  "Telescope Building
With John Dobson" cost me about $40 from Orion Telescope Center a year
or so ago.  It doesn't really provide all the details of testing and
skips over many of the improvements to the original Dobsonian design
that have been made in the past few decades, but I think its worth its
(high) price.  For someone who has never actually SEEN the effort,
tempo, and duration of grinding/polishing; this will help you get your
bearings.  People like me can read something 100 times, but not really
understand it until they've seen it or tried it themselves.

I'd be interested in the groups reviews of this tape.  John is
something to see in action,  at one point he actually hammers a nail
with his 16" mirror blank!!!  Some of the more conservative
glass-pushers in the group may be stunned to see such activity (I
was...).  

My personal feeling is that you (a  beginning glass-pusher) should read
the Mirror Making section of Richard Berry's Book, and, after that, see
the tape if you can find it (Book FIRST, Tape SECOND).

Disclaimer:  I'm still not finished with my first mirror...

Adam Perkins
Covington, Louisiana
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